Buffy stood in the
darkness, her head held high. The red gown she wore was simple,
but not plain, and brushed gently against the floor. It clung gently
to her hips, and was smooth over her legs. It lay slightly off her
shoulders, leaving her arms bare. She was paler than she had ever
been before. Only a frail touch of pink in her cheeks gave her
complexion the semblance of life. Her lips were set firmly, though a
red silken blindfold covered her eyes. Her hands were bound behind
her back.

Angel ran a cool finger
slowly down her arm, savoring the warmth he felt there. She
shuddered almost imperceptibly.

"I'm sorry,
Buffy," he whispered, "I truly am."

He reached for the
shining dagger lying on the table.

Lifting it up, he shut
his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Great Osiris, I
come to thee in supplication. Accept this offering." He slowly
cut her forehead and a trickle of blood ran down. "In blood we
are born. In blood we die. Let her cross."

He dipped his finger
into the blood and painted a pentacle on her forehead.

"This is Slayer,
savior of the people. Eternal care of truest hearts. In blood we
are baptized. In blood we are resurrected. Let her cross." He
lifted a handful of herbs off the table and sprinkled some over each
of Buffy's shoulders. "I call you and bend to your will."

The dagger began to
glow with a sinister violet light.

"In blood we are
different." He sliced open his hand and let the blood run over
the dagger. "In blood we are all the same." Where his
blood met the dagger it began to pulse. He took a breath. "Let
her cross!"

In one quick motion, he
slit her throat.

She bled, and it was
tinged with an unholy glow. She died bravely and silently, but on
her bluing lips was the word 'why?'

"Buffy, I-"
Angel began, searching for some explanation he could give the cooling
corpse. A word of sympathy, or solace. Something to say. Anything.
But he realized, there was nothing he could say.

So he turned.

And he left.

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